ram. 


A  bill  to  Incre 
Conf  Pam  #266 


[House  Biil.] 


A^  BILL 

To  increase  the  efficieucy  of  the  cavah-y  of  the  Confederate  States. 

Section  1.  T/ir  Congrmx  of  the  Cov/cdemfr  Sfates  of  America  do  enact, 
That  the  Secretary  of  War,  upon  the  application  from  the  General  commanding 
an  army  in  the  field  with  which  any  rigimcut,  battalion,  or  company  of  cavalry 
is  serving,  is  hereby  authorized  to  cause  the  quartermaster  of  the  immediate 
command  to  take  up  on  liis  property  return  the  horses  ridden  by  all  of  the  en- 
listed men  of  such  command,  and  the  horses  thus  taten  up  shall  at  once  be- 
come the  property  of  the  < 'onfcderate  States,  and  shall  be  branded  with  the  let- 
ter of  the  company  and  number  and  initials  of  the  regiment  to  which  they  be- 
long. Company  commanders  shall  receipt  to  the  quartermaster  for  the  horses 
thus  taken  up,  and  each  man  shall  be  allowed  to  retain  for  use  in  the  service, 
the  hor.se  that  was  in  his  possession  when  thus  taken  up;  and  at  any  time  that 
the  horses  of  these  men  become  unfit  for  service,  their  places  shall  be  supplied 
by  others  to  be  furnished  by  the  Government. 

Sec.  2.  A  board  of  appraisers  shall  be  appointed  by  the  commanding  General 
of  the  army  to  which  such  regiment,  battalion  or  company  is  attached,  which 
shall  appraise  the  horses  thus  taken  ;  and  shall  also  distinguish  tlicm  as  belong- 
ing to  classes  one,  two,  three  and  four,  according  to  <(uality,  and  the  owner  of 
the  horse  shall  make  his  election  to  receive  at  once  from  the  quartermaster  of 
his  command,  the  appraised  value  of  his  horse,  or  a  certificate  for  a  horse  of  the 
class  to  which  his  belongs,  to  be  furnished  him  by  the  Government  of  the  Con- 
federate States  six  months  after  the  ratification  of  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the 
United  States ;  which  certificate  shall  be  approved  by  the  commander  of  the 
brigade  to  which  the  man  belongs. 

Sec.  o.  "When  any  enlisted  man  serving  in  cavalry  becomes  dismounted,  and 
is  unable  to  remount  himself,  upon  the  certificate  of  his  immediate  commander, 
approved  by  his  brigade  and  army  commander,  that  he  has  been  a  gallant  and 
faithful  soldier,  and  takes  proper  care  of  his  horse,  the  quartermaster  of  his 
immediate  command  shall  furnish  him  a  Government  liorse,  suitable  for  cavalry 
service,  for  which  his  company  commander  shall  receipt. 

Sko.  4.  The  Secretary  of  War  shall  cause  the  (Quartermaster  (General  to  make 
immediate  arrangements  for  procuring  horses,  suitable  for  cavalry,  in  sufficient 
numbers  to  supply,  from  time  to  time,  the  re([uircmcuts  of  the  service  under 
this  law.  lie  shall  also  adopt  such  regulations  for  the  recruiting  of  cavalry 
horses,  the  property  of  the  Government,  and  of  cavalrymen  who  have  not  the 
facilities  for  recruiting  their  own  liorses,  as  he  may  deem  proper. 

Sec.  ').  When  any  cavalryman  lails  to  take  proper  care  of  his  horae,  his  bri- 
gade or  other  commander  shall  report  the  fact  to  the  General  commanding  the 
army  to  which  he  belongs,  who  shall  assign  hiiu  to  some  company  from  his  State 
of  some  other  arm  of  the  service. 

Sec.  0.  Any  cavalry  officer  of  the  Confederate  Statcy  service,  who  shall  fail 
to  exact  from  the  men  under  his  command  proper  care  of  their  horses,  mav, 
upon  certificate  wf  the  facts  by  the  brigade  inspector,  approved  by  the  brigade 


and  division  commanders  to  which  he  belongs,  be,  by  order  of  the  commanding 
General,  dropped  from  the  rolls  and  conscribed  into  the  ranks. 

f^EC.  7.  Any  infantry  soldier  who  has  beeo,  or  may  hereafter  be  conspicu- 
ously distinguished  for  his  gallantry  in  battle,  may  claim  a  transfer  to  such  cav- 
alry oommand  belonging  to  the  army  to  which  he  belongs,  as  he  may  select,  and 
in  Avhich  he  can  procure  an  exchange,  and  he  shall  be  furnished  with  a  Gov- 
ernment horse  if  he  desires  it. 

8kc.  8.  The  i^ecretary  of  War,  under  the  direction  of  the  J'rosident,  shall, 
immediately  upon  the  passage  of  this  act,  cause  steps  to  be  taken  to  ensure  the 
importation  of  a  full  and  regular  supply  of  cavalry  arms  of  the  most  approved 
patterns,  and  of  such  ammunition  therefor  as  cannot  be  manufactured  in  the 
(jonfederate  States,  and  also  of  such  amount  of  cavalry  equipments  as  he  may 
deem  necessary. 

Sec.  0.  The  Secretary  of  War,  under  the  direction  of  the  President,  shall 
cause  to  be  procured  and  issued  to  cavalry  officers,  under  such  regulations  as  ho 
may  prescribe,  tlic  most  approved  work  on  cavalry  tactics  that  can  be  obtained. 

Sec.  10.  The  President  shall  cause  to  be  established,  in  connection  with  the 
War  Department,  a  burton  of  cavalry,  which  shall,  under  direction  of  the  Sec- 
retary of  War,  be  charged  with  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  cavalry  service  of 
the  Confederate  State. 

Approved  February  '2o,  1>^Q^). 


penmalipe* 

pH8.5 


\ 


